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déisme

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Etymology and origin of the French word déisme

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1662 Pascal, Pensées More words from the 17th century
Ultimate origin
Latin deus

Pronunciation

Forms

déisme m (plural déismes)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French déiste + -isme, the earlier word being recorded in 1563 or 1564.[2][3][4][5] The TLFi derives it directly from the stem of Latin deus (“god”) with the suffix -isme.[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Pascal's Pensées (1662), where déisme and athéisme are the two errors of those who seek God outside Christ.[6][3]

Semantic evolution

With déiste, it spread in the 17th and 18th centuries for a deliberately vague belief in God that refused the teaching of the churches, the “natural religion” of the 18th century as opposed to revealed religion.[5][6] After Kant, philosophers separated déisme from théisme, but the two words are still sometimes used as synonyms.[5][8]

Timeline

  • 1662 – Pascal's Pensées use déisme.[6][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (philosophy) deism: belief in God reached by reason, without accepting révélation or dogma; the opposite of athéisme.[6][8][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c d e Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Déisme.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/d%C3%A9isme. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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